


The Scavenger Hunt

by karrenia_rune



Category: Winnie-the-Pooh - A. A. Milne
Genre: Gen, Scavenger Hunts, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-13
Updated: 2012-03-13
Packaged: 2017-11-01 21:53:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/361668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the first day of spring and his friends are feeling the effects of being cooped up for too long without anything to do, so Rabbit comes up with the idea of a scavenger hunt and divides everyone into teams of two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Scavenger Hunt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LostWendy1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostWendy1/gifts).



Disclaimer: Winnie the Pooh and the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood are the original creations of A.A Milne and do not belong to me.

"The Scavenger Hunt" by karrenia

 

Rabbit bent over at angle over the table in Pooh’s living area and smoothed the creases of the parchment with his paws so that the map lay flat on the wooden surface.  
That done he scanned around the room for something with which to hold it down, finally selecting a four and relatively clean jars of honey which Roo placed for him.

“Thank you, now as you can plainly see if is that what we have here is a map of the Hundred Acre Wood or as close as I could render it on short notice. I have copies made for each of you.”

“What did you have in mind,” Roo asked excitedly.

Clearing his throat and pausing for dramatic effect Rabbit at last said; “A scavenger hunt.”

“Ooh! Ooh!” I’m in” his breath and his words coming out at almost but not quite the same rapid pace as his bouncing. “What are we going to be looking for! Cherries! No, no, wait. Chestnuts, or even acorns, or maybe truffles… or he trailed off in order to reach up and scratch at a nagging itch in the small of his back.

“Yes, yes, now that Tigger has made his presence known,” Rabbit patiently replied, he had never been quite able to put his finger exactly what it was about Tigger that irritated him so much, but it was nevertheless undeniable that whatever that elusive ‘something’ was, it did irritate him to no end. So it was with some difficulty that he restrained himself from a sharp biting remark, counted to ten silently in his mind, and preceded with his explanation to his other friends.

“What are we going to do, Rabbit?” asked Pooh.

“Each of you will be issued a smaller version of this map with the designated searching grounds marked in blue, with Pooh’s house being the rendezvous point for meeting back here once we’ve completed the hunt.”

Roo raised a paw and asked what does ‘rendezvous mean?”

“It means to meet, or to regroup,” Rabbit replied.

“Then why didn’t you just say so in the first place, old bean?” Tigger declared, his itch now appeased.

“Rabbit through up both his fore-paws in exasperation. “OH, very well, well, to continue before I was so rudely interrupted,” and at this last conversation sally Rabbit darted a quick irritated glare in Tigger’s general direction which the other either failed to notice or simply shrugged off.

“We will split up in teams of two, Pooh and Tigger, Roo and and I in the other group. Along with the small maps you will also receive a list of the items we are hunting for. Are there any other questions? No, then…”

“How long do we have to look?” Pooh asked, thinking that while he was excited to play the game he also hoped that it would not go on too long because it might mean that he would miss out on his mid afternoon honey break. ‘And if that happened it might I could the crummies in his tummy, and who would want that?’ he thought to himself.

“I don’t know,” Rabbit replied, he stepped away from the table and went over to the half-open front door of Pooh’s house and glanced up at the sun that was slowly rising above the tree line. He then raised a paw to shade his eyes and studied its position in the sky and then turned around and replied to those waiting for his answer. “It’s mid-day now, I should think that no more than an hour or two, and whoever has the most items on the list will be declared the winner. Fair enough?”

They all nodded and Rabbit stepped back into the house and handed out the smaller maps along with the list of items that he had placed into a rolled and carved wooden tube to each of them, saying as he did so, “Do try and not to lose these, I know it’s only a game but it took me a long time to make them.”

“We’ll do our best, Rabbit,” Pooh assured him with a smile as he took the wooden scroll. “Don’t worry so much.”  
***  
Tigger immediately zigged and zagged in several directions before at last settling off toward the western edge of the forest with Pooh hallooing and hollering for him to have some consideration for folks who could not bounce so much. Meanwhile Rabbit and Roo headed east.

The undergrowth grew thicker as they went deeper into the interior of the forest and wondered if he should wait a while before he dove into the pocket of his trousers for the tiny jar of honey he had hidden in there before everyone had left his house. He sighed and then plunged his opposite hand into his other pocket instead, removing their map and studied it. “We have ten items to find, Tigger. Do you know where we might find acorns?”

“Hmm.” Hah! Acorns, did you say? Do squirrels have stripes on their posteriors? Of course they do! I should imagine we would find acorns underneath an acorn tree.”

He bounded over and stood at Pooh’s shoulder glancing down at the sheet of parchment and studied it.

“Acorns, brambles, cranberries, daisies, one eggplant, a fern, a gourd, one horn, and an iron, and last but not least, a jar of raspberry jam.” He rattled off the items on the list. “Well, well” he said and then began to chuckle with so much vigor that Pooh thought he might choke and reached out one paw to swat him on the back.

Tigger at the last controlled himself and wiping a paw across his eyes finally added. “Rabbit is taking this hunt very seriously, what say we try to beat him at his own game?”

“Oh, but that wouldn’t be very nice. It’s supposed to be fun.”

“And it will be!” cried Tigger. “Come on, if we don’t hurry, they’ll beat us before we even get started.”

**  
Rabbit loped along the forest trail with Roo following along in his wake, knowing that he had deliberately designed the maps so that although he had hidden the items he would not have the unreasonable advantage in finding them. Roo was small but tenacious and while it might very well be considered uncharitable he had not wanted to be paired with Tigger. 

Roo had already gathered the acorns, and the cranberries, and a daisy. His small size had inadvertently allowed him to get the brambles when he tripped over an exposed root. Rabbit figured he was not going to allow himself to become finicky on exactness. It was supposed to be game and he was bound and determined to have fun, come rain or high water. 

He was walking along and pondering and both of these talks took considerable concentration when he only marginally heard Roo yelling “look out! And then Rabbit stumbled into a fern that was nearly twice as he stood on both hind feet.

His nose wrinkled and he backed out, one of his buttons on his shirt becoming entangled in the leafy green ferns, he yanked and yanked, but it was stuck fast. 

Roo, seeing his friend’s distress immediately set down the satchel with which they had used to gather their items and dashed over to help.  
His small paws encircled the root and he begun to yank and yank sweat breaking out on his brow, although it was not a particularly warm spring afternoon. “Maybe we could just remove the button?”

“No, no, keep yanking.” Rabbit replied.

With a tug and a grunt the button popped loose at last, the shirt to which it was attached considerably the worse for wear but Rabbit seemed not to notice. The button in question had come away with the piece of fern that had caused all the fuss in the first place. “Just put in the satchel with the other items,” Rabbit said.

Roo nodded and put the fern into the satchel and then continued on their way.

***

Tigger and Pooh meanwhile had gathered the acorns, the brambles and the cranberries, although both had figured that should sample them first and while the taste was pleasant and sugary and quite savory Pooh was of the firm opinion that nothing could ever beat honey, nothing.

It was getting late in the spring sun overhead had descended lower and lower in the sky and Pooh’s tummy began to rumble and he placed his only free hand, the other had to hang out to their satchel, onto his stomach and spoke to it. “Don’t worry, it’s almost time to eat. We just have to finish playing the game and then we’ll have all the honey that we want.”

Tigger had bounced and bounced in every direction imaginable but he never strayed very far away and always came back. At one time he had found the gourd and a tiny silver horn. Pooh was getting both tired and hungry, but not necessarily in that order and he was all for calling a halt to the game for a snack and a breather. He realized shortly on the heels of that particular thought that he had not really been paying that much attention to where Tigger had been leading then and a nagging thought made itself known in the corners of his mind. ‘I do hope that we are not lost.’

Just at moment they both heard a rustling in the underbrush and Pooh wondered what it could mean. He would get his answer a moment later as both Rabbit and Roo emerged and directly into their path.  
“Well, well. Fancy meeting the two of you here,” Rabbit cried.

“Was this part of your game?” Roo asked.

“No, but since we’re all here it would seem a good a time as any for a tally,” Rabbit replied.

Pooh nodded and stepped forward, and opened up their satchel. “Acorns, brambles, cranberries, one gourd, and a horn,” he said.

“Very good,” Rabbit replied.

Roo also stepped forward and opened up his satchel, “Acorns, brambles, half a dozen cranberries, a daisy and a fern.”

“Well, well,” Tigger cried. “I do believe it’s a tie.”

“What happens now?” Pooh asked.

Rabbit reached up and scratched the side of his head. “I honestly did not plan out that far in advance. I suppose you can each keep the items that you have found. I am going home. I do hope that you enjoyed playing. 

Tigger bounced up and down in excitement. “Yes, Yes, but you must know where the other items are.”

“To be perfectly candid my friends,” Rabbit said and then blushed, “The whereabouts of the other items have completely slipped my mind.”

“It’s getting late,”Roo remarked. “I think we should all go home.”

“All in favor” Tigger cheerfully called out.

Then there came a resounding chorus of ‘ayes.”


End file.
